​Two-time Christy Award-finalist, Joanne Bischof has a deep passion for stories that shine light on God's grace and goodness. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband and their three children.

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​1. How did you get started as an author?  What or whom inspired you?
I always knew that I wanted to be a writer and it was about the time that I had read and loved Lauraine Snellings, Red River of the North series, that I knew that I wanted to be a Christian fiction writer. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had my nose in a book and my head in the clouds. Growing up, I was 1 part Jo March, 1 part Beatrix Potter and 1 part Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was always writing, drawing, and living with my imagination in the past.

2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
So far, I’ve written about six full length historical novels and a handful of novellas. I’m also working on my second contemporary novel. Some of these are published and some aren’t, but I find that most often, I’m working on one project or another. 

3. What writing projects are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about these projects?
I tend to bounce between books these days but right now, I have a historical novel in the works that I’m really excited about and am also working on the second book in the Wild Air series. This one is called A Boy and Wild Horses. This one has a heroine who has stage one cerebral palsy and over the course of the story, the two things she never thought she’d have—that are represented in the title—are part of an adventure that allows her to explore just how strong she is.

4. What does your writing process look like?
I do very little plotting and so I tend to map out ideas in my head, then get busy in Pinterest, creating secret boards that help me get a visual on the characters, setting, and any other details. Then, I simply sit down with a blank word document and get to work. Of course there is a lot of research involved with writing, but I tend to write and research simultaneously, often leaving place holders for things that I need to do some more reading on, then I’ll come back and fill in the gaps, or flesh out more details. 

5. Where is your favorite place to write?
I’m a mom of three so my favorite place to write is anywhere where I can curl up and turn on some music. Romantically speaking, my comfy couch with a hot cup of tea on a quiet afternoon, but I often find myself writing when I can squeeze it in. Not too long ago, I did lots of writing in my car while my son had state testing!

6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters?  Do you have any name resources you would suggest?
Surprisingly, it sort of varies. Often times I put a lot of deep thought in coming up with just the right name for a character and other times, I simply pull an idea out of a hat and go with it. Last year, I taught a workshop on writing historical fiction and suggested to the writers there to keep in mind as we name our characters, what kinds of choices their parents would have made. I think as writers, we can easily forget that, since technically we are the ones giving our character life. But when choosing a name through the mindset of that character’s parents including their social status and preferences, it can often shape our ideas a bit differently. Another thing that plays into this is in regards to sibling names. I often try to keep sibling names along a similar thread—as parents often tend to do. Yet if it might have been a quirky set of parents, names that are oddly different is a fun way to go, too! 

7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
For historical fiction, some of my absolute favorites are written by Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Liz Curtis Higgs and Heather Day Gilbert. I love a book that really moves me and has poetic writing. Those deep, nitty gritty stories, I find irresistible. 

8. Where is your favorite place to read and why?
I tend to read just about anywhere I land but I find that I often get into the bad habit of being indoors a bit too much. We live in a beautiful spot in the mountains and my husband recently built me a balcony off our bedroom that’s up near the trees. He hung a porch swing, so I try and slip out to sit there and do a little reading, or just enjoy the fresh air and the pine trees.

9. What period of history interests you the most?
I’m super fond of the Victorian era. My Cadence of Grace series, while set in Appalachia was written at the very tail end of the Victorian era. Since then, I’ve worked on several other projects set during this time and from the fashions to the social aspects—it’s one of my absolute favorites to write about.

10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character?
Ooh! Fun! This might be a good one to go all the way back to the beginning to my very first book, Be Still My Soul. I always imagined the hero, Gideon, to be like Liam Hemsowrth and pretty much always had a photo of him around whenever I was writing. Some days my job is harder than others. ;)

​11. What inspired the idea for your story To Get to You?
The idea for To Get to You stemmed from a short story that I had written called, “The Balsam Walk”. It’s part of a collection in a 21 day devotional titled 21 Days of Christmas and was so much fun to write! Once I finished the short story, I really wanted to know what would happen to the characters next…and soon, To Get to You was in the works!
​
12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
I like to listen to music! I know this is probably a super simple hobby but it’s actually one of my all time favorite things. My dad was a musician so music was always a big part of our lives. Now, whether I’m cleaning house, on a walk, or just reading a book, I almost always have music of some kind on. 

Check out my review for
TO GET TO YOU​
​THIS QUIET SKY (coming soon)

Katherine Pym is an author of historical novels set in 1660's London with one novel of the French Revolution, including The Barbers and Jasper's Lament. She divides her time between Seattle, WA & Austin, TX with her husband and puppy-dog.

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1. How did you get started as an author?
First of all, thanks so much for having me. As with most authors, I've been writing since I was a child. What or whom inspired you? When much older, my sister inspired me to become serious. She and I always considered ourselves intellectual snobs, but one evening over glasses of wine, we admitted (which will never be repeated, right?) that we were closet historical romance readers. We had another glass of wine, and over that, decided to write a historical romance novel. I mean, how hard could it be? So, we chose a period of history and started writing. My sister got tired. (It was harder than we both thought.) But I was inspired and continued. My London novels are a result, and they are not romances. Oh, there are traces of romance. Jasper's Lament has a little more than a trace.  

2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
I've written 5 novels, all historical fiction. It's almost a series, in that I've a novel each year of the 1660's in London. Jasper's Lament is my latest, 1664. I'll continue in this vein until 1666 when most of London burns to the ground.

3. What writing projects are you currently working on?
I'm in the midst of researching my London 1665 novel, the year of the plague. What can you tell us about these projects? This one will be a problem. The 1665 Plague in London has been written about too much, the subject saturating readers, but I started this series with King Charles II's Restoration, and have told a story each year, non-royalty mind you, that I can't just skip 1665. I'll have to make certain the plague is part of the background rather than the subject matter. It'll be hard, though, since so many died. 

I'd have my character leave town, start anew, but my stories are about 'Elizabethan London' which is gone, now. I want the reader to feel they've walked those old streets, smelled the coal smoke. I want them to know what it's like to meet a crowd who cannot go farther. The narrow lane is blocked by horse-drawn drays that face each other, their drivers not willing to let the other pass.    

4. What does your writing process look like?
In the mornings, I'll go through email, facebook and twitter, do some promo; then critique chapters from my writer's group. After this, I'm free to write. I take a deep breath, and go into a 'place', like meditation. 

5. Where is your favorite place to write?
I always sit at my desk where I can see outside.

6. How important are the names in your novels?
Pretty important. Jasper is a Puritan and Puritan names at this time were very long. For instance, Nicolas Barbon's (17th century economist & physician) real name was: If-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned Barebone. In the light of this, Jasper's full name is Jasper Praise-God Pitt. His father's: Holy-Grail-Lament Pitt, and his uncle's: Peter-the-Baptist Pitt. How do you choose names for your characters? In the case of my most recent release, names came naturally. Lament Pitt dies, and Jasper finds out his father was not as he seemed, thus Jasper's Lament, a bit of a play on words. Usually, though, my selection comes from a list I've created of 17th century names, both male and female. Do you have any name resources you would suggest? Most come from my many sources of research. 

7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
Some novelists have books that strike at your heart. One of these is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I enjoyed Hawthorne's A Marble Fawn, too. Another standby is The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas (I tried to read it in French once. Didn't work too well.)

8. Where is your favorite place to read and why?
I like to read on a ratty chair on the patio of my backyard. The pic shows damp but we do live in Seattle. (Can I get a picture of this?) Please see attached. 

9. What period of history interests you the most?
The 17th century London, England.

10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? 
At the moment, I'd choose Jasper's Lament, and I'd love a young Kenneth Branagh to play his part (since Jasper is 25). Mr Branagh's talent is all encompassing who could play a flawed man such as Jasper.  

11. What inspired the idea for Jasper’s Lament? History inspired Jasper's Lament. The fact I write a novel per year, London 1664 is filled with innuendo, gossip, and fears that war with the Dutch is imminent. The heads of state are ambivalent until the London merchants press their case before Parliament & King Charles II. So, I made my character a merchant. History shows since the Restoration, not everyone wanted the king's return & there were plots against him, so I made my character an unwilling participant in a plot. 

12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? Husband and I like to travel, explore different parts of the country that are so incredibly beautiful.

Check out my review for JASPER'S LAMENT.

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1. Your first book in the Valiant Hearts Series , Dauntless, had a Robin Hood inspiration. What legend inspired Chivalrous?
Chivalrous relates in many ways with Arthurian legends, particularly Sir Lancelot.  It takes place in a fictional dukedom in Northern England which strives to live by Arthurian ideals, including a round table type of government. It is a story of tournaments, chivalry, and courtly love with a surprising twist on the Lancelot and Guinevere story.

2. Sounds like you’ve taken this story in a whole new direction. In what ways does it relate to Dauntless?
This story follows everyone’s favorite character from Dauntless, Allen, who will soon be dubbed Sir Allen of Ellsworth. Allen is the guy who didn’t get the girl in book one, but he takes off for North Britannia in search of his rightful place in the world, and I’m guessing he just might stumble across love once he gets there. This story also relates to the Valiant Hearts Series as a whole by bringing in a new spunky heroine who has secretly trained to be a knight.

3. Tell us a little bit more about your main characters in Chivalrous.
Allen stands out immediately because of his deep connection with God, but he is also struggling with his identity. He was raised to be a peasant farmer but has been given many opportunities to advance in the world, and he isn’t sure of his new role. As is often the case with people so close to God, the weakness he deals with is pride, and although it is subtle, it has the potential to destroy everything.

Gwendolyn longs to be a knight like her chivalrous brothers, but her domineering father sees her as nothing more than a marriage pawn. He is determined to see her wed to a brutish man who will break her spirit. She is unsure how she even feels about a God who would create her—as she sees it—a second-rate female when she would rather be a knight.  And boy does she have a temper. But Gwendolyn also has a softer side. She loves dance and music and children. She will have a long way to go to find her true identity.

4. What do you hope your readers will take away from Chivalrous?
This book deals with what it means to be a woman of valor. Because of Gwendolyn’s situation, she must struggle to discover a woman’s true role in both the family and society.  She has seen her mother abused into a shell of herself, and does not want that to be her fate. Both Gwendolyn and Allen end up dealing with unjust authorities, and must learn to balance godly submission with the importance of taking charge of one’s own decisions. To borrow a modern phrase, they must learn how to establish healthy boundaries. A message of God turning all things for good for those who love Him comes shining through the story. And as in all of my books, the importance of having an intimate relationship with God and learning to hear His voice is stressed.

5. What can we expect next from the Valiant Hearts Series?
Book 3, Courageous, will be coming out next summer. It will follow the story of Gwendolyn’s lady’s maid from Chivalrous. Rosalind of Ipsworth is haunted by a tragic mistake, but a crusade to the Holy Land just might offer her the chance to earn her redemption. Inspired by the vision of the Young Lady Sapphira, Rosalind joins a group of men, women, and children as a defender of the cross. She will gladly give herself to the cause of Christ, as she believes she no longer deserves such joys as normal life, marriage, and family might bring.

Sir Randel Penigree was reared for a life in the church and a tonsured scalp, but his own desire is to fight and protect the innocent as a knight. After a stunning defeat, his parents issue an ultimatum: join the church or be disowned. A crusade to the Holy Land will offer him the opportunity to find the famed Knights Templar and become a warrior monk, finally merging his parents’ wishes with his own.

As they work together to train and protect a group of young adolescents, their hearts begin to heal, and Randel and Rosalind find themselves undeniably drawn to one another. When they face political machinations, danger, and an unknown enemy bent on their destruction, they are forced to reconsider their priorities, and the very nature of the God they serve.

Do your reading interests match author Dina Sleiman’s writing specialties? Take her match making quiz and find out.

Every writer is unique. We all have our own strengths and focuses. And we have other areas that just aren't our specialties. Much like finding the right spouse, I think it's important for writers to find the right readers who appreciate their books and what they have to offer, rather than trying to please everyone, which is pretty much impossible. I've been paying a lot of attention to my reviews lately, and trying to pin down my precise audience. So who is the Dina Sleiman audience and who should probably just stay away from my books? Let me try to explain with this match making quiz.

Do you like only one category of fiction or a broad variety? If you are very faithful to a specific category like romance or suspense, you might feel that certain elements are lacking from my books or that the pacing is not quite what you expected. But if you a have broad interests, you will be delighted to find many of your favorite ingredients mixed together in a lovely potpourri throughout my books. My Valiant Hearts novels include a heaping helping of romance, a good bit of action, dashes of suspense and humor, and even coming of age elements--all set against a historical backdrop. But don't necessarily expect my heroes and heroines to meet in chapter one, or the suspense to kick off from the very first scene. Be ready for a new adventure.

Are you looking for fantasy or historical fiction? While I enjoy fantasy books for the most part, they include way too much plot and action for me, and really, I don't quite understand the genre. My Valiant Hearts books are historical. They are set in real times and real countries, although often fictional towns. They have elements that might appeal to fantasy readers, like medieval settings and adventure, but if you're specifically looking for fantasy books, that's not what I write. On the other hand, I have a fanciful imagination and my books are more focused on the story and fictional elements than the historical account itself. While I try to be as historically accurate as possible, I use history as a backdrop, not as a primary subject.

Do you like romance and happy endings? If you hate romance and roll your eyes at it and find it gaggy, don't waste your time on my books. Or if you want to shield your kids from romance for some reason, then pick a different author. While I don't consider myself a classic romance writer, I love romance, and I include it in all of my novels. I'll let you in on a little secret, the first Valiant Hearts book was originally written as a romance novel and then expanded to bring in a more epic adventure feel. There is a good bit of romance at the heart of everything I write. If you want a book that's dark and depressing and will leave you filled with angst, don't bother with my books. They are full of hope, light, and redemption. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a happy ending girl.

Do you read for plot alone or do you enjoy the more relational and artistic elements of fiction? If you read mostly for plot and tend to skip over lovely descriptions, long conversations, and inner monologues, you might not like my books very much. In fact, you might feel a little lost, because that's where a lot of the good stuff happens. If thoughts of characters, inner journeys, and beautiful language make you tingle, then I am the author for you. If you care as much about what is going on inside a character and appreciate a dash of psychology, philosophy, and deep spirituality, then prepare to be thrilled.

Are you looking for religion or spirituality? When it comes to spiritual threads, I like to go deep. My books will challenge you to experience Christ on a very personal level. They are not just clean books about good morals. They examine hard questions and real life problems, and explore how a very active and present God can make Himself known to you in those places. If you want a squeaky clean, goody-goody book that is G-rated and more sanitized than the Bible itself, please look elsewhere. If you think that God gave us Jesus and the Bible and then left us to our own devices for the next 2000 years, no longer speaking to us or moving in miraculous ways, don't waste your time on my books. Unless of course you are interested in learning and growing and being challenged with new ideas. Then by all means, I welcome you to try them.

Are you willing to read a book geared toward older teen girls and young adult women? My new Valiant Hearts books should appeal to ages 12 through adult, but my goal has always been to write to older teens and younger women. I think you will find that all of my books resonate with that group. And I intend to keep them as my primary audience and focus my books towards their needs and interests. These books are not for elementary kids, and as I've mentioned, they do include romance and some grittier topics. I certainly don't mean to offend anyone, but I'm not going to apologize for tailoring my books to my target audience. And while I'm sure many boys and men could enjoy the Valiant Hearts series, they are more geared toward females.

Do you like heroines who are both strong and feminine? If you are looking for wilting maidens and damsels in distress saved by shining knights who swoop in on their giant horses, look elsewhere. The personalities of these Valiant Hearts heroines will vary from book to book, but some of them are pretty tough, and all of them are courageous and able and willing to rise to whatever challenges they might face. The guys aren't weak--these girls deserve strong men of good character--but the girls are pretty much their equals in every way. The theme of the series is "Be Strong and Courageous," and I stand by that theme. If female empowerment bugs you, if you would rather read about women staying home and quilting and cooking and being demure, you have been fairly warned. On the other hand, if you are looking for women trying to act like men and deny their God-given feminine traits, you won't find them in my books either. I want to show young women that they can be both strong and feminine at the same time.

That's me and my writing. What do you think? Are we a match made in heaven? If so, be sure to check out my Valiant Hearts books.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dauntless, Valiant Hearts Book 1 – Where legend and history collide, one young woman will fight for the innocent.

Chivalrous, Valiant Hearts Book 2 – With her future in jeopardy, this unforgettable heroine won’t go down without a fight. 

Often readers confuse an author with the characters they create. I imagine the truth is that each character we write has a hint of us inside of them. But it is also true that professional novelists go to great lengths to create unique and separate characters with distinctive personalities. So today I’m going to share with you how I am both similar to and different from some of my female heroines.

Let’s start with the general idea of these tough Valiant Hearts heroines. I’ve always been strong, healthy, and athletic, but not quite a tough sporty girl. During my school years I did play some sports, mostly because I went to small Christian schools and everyone needed to be involved. I was pretty good at basketball, but always preferred dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading. As an adult, I like quiet physical activities like walking, biking, hiking, and canoeing. I still dance from time to time as part of my church’s worship dance team. But…I believe in female empowerment and that women should follow whatever path God lays on their hearts. I don’t like to see arbitrary limits put on what girls can and can’t do, and that was very important to me as I wrote this Valiant Hearts Series. My Meyer’s Briggs personality type is INFJ, which in addition to being creative, is also very individualistic and idealistic.

My Robin Hood-esque Merry Ellison from Dauntless and I actually have very little in common. On the Meyers Briggs scale, Merry was my opposite on three out of four indicators. She is more extroverted, sensory, and thinking. This made Merry the most challenging character I’ve ever written, yet I loved and admired her. Her ENTJ personality was the same as my middle child, my outdoor enthusiast and adrenaline junky. It’s a great leadership personality. I often thought of tough sporty girls I’ve been friends with over the years while writing Merry. Merry and I have a few things in common like a love of children and a love of acrobatics, but even her motivations and inner thoughts were often different than mine. I do have a tomboy side, but it does not go as far as weaponry and hunting. In addition to all of that, tiny, dark haired, exotic Merry is pretty much my physical opposite in every way too. 

Chivalrous with my female knight is releasing soon, and I certainly have more in common with Gwendolyn Barnes than with Merry. I was picturing Gwendolyn as a INFP/ISFP hybrid.  Gwendolyn hates mingling at a big party, much like me, and 

 she loves music, dance, and sunshine, again like me. Her biggest flaw is that she tends to fade into a fantasy world rather than deal with reality, which is something I have been guilty of from time to time, but not to the same degree as Gwendolyn. She has more of a temper than I do, although I share her abhorrence of injustice and can get pretty riled up when faced with it. And again, she is tougher than me, although I think if I had been raised with her hang ups, I might have turned out even more like her. Finally, Gwendolyn’s tall, blonde, and curvy physical description is pretty darn close to mine at that age. At 5’10” I’m used to looking men in the eye and feeling like I can do anything they can.

Next on the horizon is Courageous with my crusader heroine. It won’t release until July 2016, but you will be introduced to its main character heroine in Chivalrous. Rosalind of Ipsworth is Gwendolyn’s lady’s maid, best friend, and partner in crime. Of the three Valiant Hearts heroines so far, I definitely have the most in common with Rosalind. With her ENFJ personality, she is more of a typical emotional, romantic girl, although she is tough enough to rise to whatever occasion is thrown at her. She’s more outgoing than me, and she makes some unfortunate choices that my upbringing protected me from. But her thoughts, speech, and motivations are pretty similar to what I imagine mine being in those circumstances. And Rosalind is a passionate woman, which is also a trait I share. 

Passion is a characteristic that is often avoided in Christian heroines, and yet a characteristic I think God highly values when channeled in the right direction. In fact, I’ve used the ENFJ personality for two other heroines in the past. Both Dandelion in Dance of the Dandelion and Constance in Love in Three-Quarter Time are feisty, passionate heroines as well. Each makes mistakes, like Rosalind, but each learns to channel that passion toward an intimate relationship with God. My daughter has an ENFJ personality, and I have loved watching her grow in her passion toward God.

Maybe you’re wondering if I’ve ever written myself into a book. I would say the closest I’ve come is with Allie, my Christian ballerina in Dance from Deep Within. She shares my INFJ personality, my love of dance and reading, my blonde coloring, and many of my experiences. Her thoughts, tastes, opinions, fashion sensibilities, and beliefs certainly mirror mine, especially when I was her age. But of course her life is different than mine in some ways too, and her experiences are more extreme, including a trauma I didn’t share. Still, I would say if you want to know what I’m all about, Allie would provide the best clues.

So that’s me and my heroines. I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick foray into our personalities.

Which of my heroines do you think you would relate with the most? What is your personality like?

Check out my reviews for the Valient Heart Series:
DAUNTLESS
CHIVALROUS

Connect with Gerri on:
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1. How did you get started as an author?  What or whom inspired you?
My parents instilled a love of reading in me at an early age, and we took weekly trips to the library. Even as a child, writing was a dream and a goal. An early “success” - a one-paragraph story in Highlights - fueled me, and I eventually turned an associate’s degree in communications into a career as a journalist. I started writing fiction seriously in adulthood, to take my mind off infertility and miscarriage.

2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
At Home in Persimmon Hollow is my first published novel but my fourth penned novel. The others are hidden in drawers and boxes, and are in great need of revision. All are historical romance novels. I also have a shelved, half-written historical novel that is women’s fiction instead of straight romance.


3. What writing projects are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about these projects?
I’m currently finishing edits on the second book in the Persimmon Hollow Legacy, titled Stitching A Life in Persimmon Hollow. It’s about a young woman who dreams of being a dressmaker to the fashionable women of her era (late 19th century), but who discovers that life can be complicated when two rival suitors vie for her hand.

4. What does your writing process look like?
I’m in-between being a “pantster” and “plotter,” and work best by allowing myself freedom within an established structure. I start with characters, which leads to the love story. Then I determine the main internal and external conflicts. Once I have all that loosely developed, I create a general outline, then a chapter-by-chapter synopsis. Then I write, but the story often loops in and out of the synopsis. The exception to this writing process is short stories. For those, I just start writing and see where it goes.

5. Where is your favorite place to write?
Years of journalism gave me the ability to write anywhere, at any time, in most all conditions. My favorite place is a guest room that doubles as my office and is crammed with books. I sit on a futon, often with my laptop in my lap, and face a window with a nice view of my back yard – which backs up to undeveloped acreage even though I live in suburbia. I’ve shared a picture of the window, as that’s the most aesthetic element of my writing space!

6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters?  Do you have any name resources you would suggest?
Names are important, and I often change a character’s name a couple or few times in the process of a book. I rely a lot on instinct when choosing a name that fits the character’s personality. Also, since I write historicals, I research what names were popular in the years my characters would have been born. The Social Security Administration is a great resource for that. The agency has a website about popular baby names by the decade, going back to the 1880s: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/.

7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
I’m a voracious reader who usually has three books going at once, and hesitate to recommend authors for fear of leaving too many out! That said, Jane Austen is first on my list.

8. Where is your favorite place to read and why?
I read everywhere and anywhere. When weather and time permit, I like to sit out on my tiny front porch area because it overlooks plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. They weren’t out in the attached photo because it was a rainy day.

9. What period of history interests you the most?
Mid- to late 19th century, colonial America, and Tudor. My book-length fiction is generally set from the 1870s to 1890s. My shelved woman’s historical novel is set in the colonial era.

10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? (Possibly share an image of this famous star.)
I could imagine Anne Hathaway as Agnes. Here’s a photo of her from the movie Becoming Jane: http://i2.wp.com/www.frockflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2007_becoming_jane_006.jpg

11. What inspired the idea for At Home in Persimmon Hollow?  What inspired the idea for the Persimmon Hollow Legacy series?  How many novels are you planning on having in this series?
I’d long wanted to write a series about a hometown-type of community in which each book is also an independent romance, because it combines my love of happy endings and family sagas. The name Persimmon Hollow is rooted in the local history of the town I live in, which at one point in the 19th century actually was known as Persimmon Hollow. The name was perfect for a fictional town of warm, caring people. I first envisioned a series of three books, but a character (Polly) not originally slated for a separate story has a strong voice that may demand a storyline. It’ll depend on what readers want.

12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
Reading, gardening, spoiling my cats, and trying to fit in some sewing and crocheting. I also like to bake, but rarely have time (or spare calories!) to indulge. My husband and I are also very close to our extended families, and usually spend vacations with them.

Check out my review for AT HOME IN PERSIMMON HOLLOW.

Jennifer Moore is a passionate reader and writer of all things romance due to the need to balance the rest of her world that includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that is anything but romantic. Jennifer has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family, but most of the time wishes she was aboard a British frigate during the age of sail.

Connect with Jennier on:
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1. How did you get started as an author?  What or whom inspired you?
I like to tell stories to my kids, and to make up new things every night, but the thing that really made me want to write was school. I loved my writing classes. I remember a few teachers specifically, my 9th and 12th grade English teachers, and one really great Creative Writing professor in college. I liked to write in my journal, and so a few creative things here and there. Then remember when personal blogs were so popular? I loved writing on that blog, and I spent all sorts of time thinking about what I'd write next, and it turned into something I really looked forward to. I guess writing a book was just the next step.

2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
I've written 4 contemporary novels and I'm right now working on my 6th historical. And there are a few short stories in there too. (obviously some of these may never be published)

3. What writing projects are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about these projects?
So, right now, I have a few balls in the air. I'm working on edits for "Change of Heart" A contemporary romance in the Lobster Cove line at The Wild Rose Press. That has been a lot of fun. We all created this town--Lobster Cove and then we've used each other's settings and characters. There is a wide range of sub-genres. Like a historical where the woman lives in this mansion, and then in another author's contemporary, the mansion is a historic bed and breakfast. One of my characters works for the owner of an art gallery who has her own story by another author--see what I mean? I might be over explaining this. But anyway, I think mine is, so far, the only sweet romance in the line. And I'm also writing the sixth book in my Covenant series--they're sort of "Destination Regencies." All of the stories take place during the same time in a different location within the British Empire, and there are characters from the other stories who make an appearance. So, this one takes place in Greece in 1816. I just got back from Greece. My brother is a history professor and he teaches at the University in Athens during the summer. We found our way to this remote area called the Mani, where the Greek war of Independence began. I loved it and I can't wait to get this story written. And I'm working on a Regency Novella for Heather Moore's All-Regency Anthology that comes out this next spring. I'm super excited about "Simply Anna" which will be released on September 1. 

4. What does your writing process look like?
Let's see...I do a ton of research. I read a lot and mark up books, make notes and file it all away in my project notebook. I like to find pictures of characters and clothing and scenery--anything to help me feel the story better. I have a page for each chapter and write the POV character, scene goal and a brief sketch of what needs to happen in that chapter. Then when I think of something else, I put a sticky note on it, so that way I can move an event to a different chapter if I need to...It sounds more complicated than it is.

5. Where is your favorite place to write?
At my desk. But I find myself writing in the car during soccer practice, or at the park while my kids play, or in the back yard, sitting in bed...But I think I'm most efficient in my office. I have all the books and pictures and everything there, and I only use if for writing, so I'm sort of in the "zone" when I'm there. I have an extra monitor that I hook up if I'm doing edits or revisions, so I can see more than one page, and also, I have all my pictures and my little Lego Shakespeare, Wonder Woman, my little model cannon and a Klepht soldier. They cheer me on. 

6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters?  Do you have any name resources you would suggest?
Names are super important. I love choosing names, and I read about the meanings behind them, trying to find the perfect name for a character. Sometimes I use names of people I meet, like Jim Stackhouse is a person I met on vacation and I thought he was such a cool guy and loved the sound of his name. Perfect for my character. I met a man named Themis in Greece and I had to have a Themis in this book. But he's not at all like the real guy. I just really liked the name. I've used random name generator, baby name websites, ethnic name websites,...and I'm always writing down names I come across in a little notebook, so I don't forget them.

7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
I love Carla Kelly. She uses dialog like a whiz, her romance is believable and delicious, and her history is always spot on. I also love Bernard Cornwell. His Sharpe series is one of my favorites. And if you have the stomach for it, Stephen King. His characterization methods are creative and I love his characters' dialog.

8. Where is your favorite place to read and why?
Um...In bed, the bath, the car, the floor of my husband's study, picnic table, the couch...I read everywhere.

9. What period of history interests you the most?
I LOVE studying about the Reconquista of Spain. Some day, I'm going to set a book then. Also, the Napoleonic wars, or anytime during the Age of Sail.  

10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character?
One of my favorit characters is Sidney Fletcher. He's in Becoming Lady Lockwood and Lady Emma's Campaign. I always imagine him looking and acting like Armie Hammer. Like he jokes around a lot, but when it's time to get serious, he's strong and brave. 

11. What inspired the idea for The Sheik’s Ruby? Becoming Lady Lockwood?  Lady Emma’s Campaign?  Miss Burton Unmasks a Prince? Simply Anna?

My dad met the prince of Monaco, and chatted with him for quite a while before he realized who he was. Prince Albert told him that he'd enjoyed talking to someone who wasn't careful the whole time about saying something because of who he is. That stuck in my mind for a long time, and eventually was the main idea for The Sheik's Ruby.

As for the others, I love ships, and I imagined a scene where the captain and all the officers are locked up and a woman saves them. I didn't know whether she was on their side, or if she knew them, or why she was on the ship, or why they were locked up. So, that scene made me start asking questions and putting together the story for Becoming Lady Lockwood.

Lady Emma's Campaign--I wanted a book set in Spain, because I love Spain. And I wanted it to be Sidney's story, so I had to figure out why he would be there, and I decided he was a prisoner. And let's see, Miss Burton...I liked the idea of an American coming to England for a London Season and wondering what in the world was going on...It was fun to write from the POV of an outsider looking at the London Society with fresh eyes. 

Simply Anna—I wanted to return to Jamaica and set a story there, since I'd researched it a little for Becoming Lady Lockwood. So, I started reading about the plantations the sugar industry, and of course, the African slave trade. The more I read, the harder it became to figure out how to set a story in a place that was so divided by race. I didn't know how to make a slave owner "likeable," and for a romance, that's sort of a requirement. 

So, anyway, I luckily found some great journal entries, really great stories of slaves that loved the family they worked for, and defended them during uprisings. And stories of masters who were kind, but they were few and far between.

The one saving grace was Emancipation happened much earlier for the British Colonies than in the United States. The British people were more removed from the actual plantations, and were disgusted by the whole practice. So, bringing in two characters, and having them new on the island made it easier for them to be horrified by how the African slaves were treated. 

12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
I read a lot. And I take my kids to soccer games and practice--all the time. I like taking walks, and going to lunch with friends, hanging out with my sisters, things like that. I'm sort of boring. I spend a lot of my time writing, and that's pretty much my hobby.

Check out my reviews for:
THE SHIEK'S RUBY--coming soon
BECOMING LADY LOCKWOOD--coming soon
LADY EMMA'S CAMPAIGN--coming soon
SIMPLY ANNA

1. How did you get started as an author?  What or whom inspired you?
I started writing The Hesitant Heiress in January of 2010. I'd never written much, but I knew I would someday write a novel. It ultimately took my husband finding out about it to get me to actually do it. He encouraged me to stay home and write, so I finally did. He believed in me 110%, which was exactly what I needed.

2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
So far, the three books in The Everstone Chronicles series: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart and The Captive Imposter are the only three books I've ever written. Most of the book ideas I have fall under the Historical Romance genre, but I have one Contemporary Romance story idea—just because I wanted to see what it was like. It was a lot easier to write the first three chapters of that CR, but my heart will forever belong in the Historical Romance genre.

3. What writing projects are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about these projects?
I happened to have my first baby four months before The Hesitant Heiress released as an eBook last year.... and although life is crazy and busy—and did I mention crazy?—I am still committed to writing. I just have to do it a little differently now that my first and only three manuscripts have been published! Now it's all about pitching book ideas and seeing if a publisher is interested in publishing them. They will all be historical romance from first person POV, I know that much! I have a few of them all ready to pitch, but it’s hard to describe them. They will be filled with drama, romance, deep emotions, conflicts, LOVE and plenty of twists and turns!  
    
4. What does your writing process look like?
I have ADD, so there is no real process besides making a pretty detailed outline of my chapters… but I usually only know about half of it at the beginning and figure the rest out as I go. I’ll start with a bunch of characters and ideas and scenes, goals and conflicts that all come together in my head, and I just have to focus long enough to get them in order and down in words on paper. Writing from first person POV, I can say that I always have to get deep into the character of my heroine as I write her and feel her reactions and feelings throughout the novel. That’s the one thing that has always stayed the same throughout writing the three books. Now that I’m published already, I have to actually figure out the ENTIRE story to pitch before writing it! That’s been taking me a few months pre story lately, having to do so around the demanding schedule of an 18 month old!

5. Where is your favorite place to write?

Before I had a baby, this was where I would write (see photo of desk).

But now that I have an 18 months old boy, I do a lot of my writing on my iPhone whenever I can. After bedtime, I get on my laptop—sometimes at my desk in the writing room, or sometimes at my dining room table.  

6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters?  Do you have any name resources you would suggest?
Names are VERY important to me. I collect them. I don’t have a resource, I just watch out for interesting names and save them up. I actually had Amaryllis Brigham named when I was in college, at least a decade before I started writing the novel in 2010. I knew I would write her book someday, I just didn’t know what it would be about, or when I would get around to it. I also made up the name Everstone back then, knowing it would be the last name of the hero. I named her hero Nathan because the name is in my husband’s name, Jonathan. J

7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
Jody Hedlund, Julie Klassen, Julie Lessman, Sarah Ladd, Roseanna White.

8. Where is your favorite place to read and why?
I usually read in my bed.

9. What period of history interests you the most?
I would have to say most of the 1800s. It was such a great century with so much change and inventions!

10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character?
I would choose a young Zooey Deschanel as Amaryllis. As soon as I saw her in this photo years and years and years ago, I knew this was her.

Check out my reviews for the novels in The Everstone Chronicles:
The Hesitant Heiress
The Bound Heart (coming soon)
The Captive Imposter (coming soon)

K. Willow is a novelist and award-winning writer with a background in television, film, theatre, and soap operas.  She writes dark historical and urban fantasty and lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband.

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1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you?
First, I want to thank you so much for having me here! It's exciting to be able to share the backstory of my saga and also my experiences as a writer.

So here goes...

My path to becoming an author began years ago. I'd say that like most authors, I loved, with an all consuming passion, books as a child. As soon as my mom, who was an English teacher and Reading Consultant in Connecticut, taught me to read at four, the world was open to me. And before then, my dad, an actuary, would read to me every night from books like A Wrinkle in Time and The Great Brain series. I loved books, and my Christmas list would include tons of them. And so because I loved reading books, as I neared graduating from high school and going on to college, I decided to do the obvious thing and become a doctor. That makes total sense, right? I was very conflicted, since I had an interest in medicine and loved writing. And I think I was scared to write, because how could one live off of writing. It seemed like a bleak prospect. So I enrolled in a pre-med program, but still confused, I talked to my dad, who said to me pretty matter-of-factly, "Why are you becoming a doctor? You're a really great writer." And I debated with him, but finally, I decided to leave the realm of Chemistry and Biology classes. At my university, the buildings that contained all of the science classes, were located in the same area, and this area was called "Death Valley." So I left "Death Valley" and found life in Locke Hall, where I began my life as an English major and absolutely loved it.

But I was still confused, as many college students are, as to what in the world I was going to do with my life, what kind of career would I have with this degree after I graduated. And somehow, I found myself at a seminar on a Saturday morning entitled, "Writing for Television." And I had found what I wanted to do! I had never known that such a career existed. After graduation, I began my first job at the National Headquarters for PBS, working in their programming department, first for children's programming and then for News, Information, and Public Affairs. I learned a lot, and then I decided to go to graduate school and hone my craft before heading off to Los Angeles. My husband and I had just married, and he was extremely supportive, and we drove cross country, and I started working in television and then entered into a few writing competitions, and won a spot in some, like the Cosby Fellowship Program at University of Southern California, the Disney Fellowship Program, and the NBC Writers on the Verge Program, and then became a Writers Trainee for ABC Daytime's One Life to Live. At the same time, I was also in a playwright's laboratory at the Robey Theatre Company. But still, although I loved all of this and learned a great deal, I was still trying to find myself as a writer, to have more autonomy over my work. Plus, I was tired of living in L.A., and I decided to study the craft of novel writing. And this is where I feel most comfortable, where I feel like I truly belong.

2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
I have completed one book, The Hidden Hills Saga. But I have a few other projects that I have started working on. The genres of these books are historical, dystopian, and fantasy. For some reason, right now, I am not as much interested in exploring the contemporary world. Perhaps, that might change one day. But I love to travel, and I think writing allows me to escape to other places and times when things were a lot different or to other periods in the future when things could be a lot different than our current world, which is sometimes so surreal it's hard to make any sense out of it at all.

3. What writing projects are your currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects?
Besides working on the next two books in The Hidden Hills Saga, I am currently working on two other series. One is a dystopian series set in the near future entitled "New World," and the other is a fantasy based more on reality, if that makes sense, entitled "Earth Angels." I'm enjoying both of these projects.

4. What does your writing process look like?
My writing process, unfortunately, looks like intense spurts of focus whenever I have a chance to write. This is something that I am trying to change, to become so organized that I make sure to find a place and a time to write regularly instead of making it a second priority to my other work, specifically the business that I co-own with my hubby. I wish I could churn out books all of the time and to not allow myself to be distracted by other things that seem to pop up and demand my attention everyday. But as far as my writing process. I am definitely a plotter. I think it's because I worked in television so much, reading and writing scripts, and everything begins with an outline.

5. Where is your favorite place to write?
Writing for me is so much like reading, so I like to curl up on a lounger or a sofa with my laptop and work on my project. I like to be comfortable so that I can easily lose myself in the story and envision everything that is happening. I also would love to try writing in a cafe with a Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino right beside me!

6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest?
I feel as though names, as they are in real life, are very important to the characters and determining their stories, the lives they lead. I usually take a lot of time researching the names of my characters, especially their meanings. However, sometimes I just have a feel for a character's name, and so I choose that name.

7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
Although I write mainstream fiction, I love literature; so much of what I read is not actually popular fiction. I love Jane Austin, Jon Irving, the Bronte sisters, and Edgar Allen Poe along with modern writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and other international authors as well. Chimamanda wrote a wonderful book entitled Americanah, which through light humor explores the experience of a young, wealthy Nigerian woman who has come to America to attend university and who must navigate through race and racism in America, to which she has no connection or history. I absolutely love Chimamanda, who speaks of the tyranny or danger of the single story. As a writer, I am tired of hearing the same story over and over again, especially about the African-American experience. There are numerous stories and experiences, and I believe that they, like all stories, are worth telling. However, too often, on television and in the movies, we only hear one type of story.

When reading and through writing my own stories, I love to be transported to different worlds, whether it's through time or place. Outside of literature, I also love the original V.C. Andrews novels, perhaps because they are gothic family stories that have a lot of soap opera elements in them. But I absolutely hate the movie versions, because they seem so cheesy. For novelists, I recommend John Gardener, whose books On Becoming a Novelist and On Moral Fiction are truly inspiring and remind us as writers, we are creating art, and that's an important contribution to the world.  

8. Where is my favorite place to read and to write?
I think I am comfortable reading basically anywhere, but wherever I am reading, I like to feel comfortable so that I can focus entirely on the story and getting lost in the vision and away from reality. It's as though when reading and writing, I am curling up with my favorite stuffed animal or a cute, furry animal and I am hugging it close. Except it is instead a book or my trusty laptop, which I love so much and can transport me to different places and time periods and can also connect me to different, interesting people who are the characters, heroes and villains, in my stories!

9. What period in history interests you most?
I am most interested in the Victorian era, life in England and America during the reign of Queen Victoria. I'm not sure exactly why, but my guess is it was a time in which class struggles truly came to the fore and one can easily see the transitions, the before and after, during this period and also the Edwardian period. The style of dress, the manners, the way women were viewed and their views on the world seemed to change, or at least they became more open about them. I think the start of the Industrial Revolution also affected this. And we began seeing the changes all over the world, including and especially in America with the challenges to the slave system and of course the Civil War. The time of accepted oppression in the west started coming to its climax and final end. My interest in history also likely inspires me to explore stories that could be set in the near future through the dystopian genre. And maybe because we have seen the world go through so many horrible events, and it still continues in all its beauty yet still with terrible problems, I don't write dystopian novels set in a destroyed, desolate world, just a world that still looks similar to today's but is more advanced but is still a product of all of the challenges that we are facing in our modern world.

10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character?
There are so many wonderful actors and actresses. The most important factor in choosing an actor to play a character is the absolute talent and skill of the actor. There are many attractive people who play in movies but can't act that well at all, and then that takes the viewer out of the story, especially after they have read the novel version. I would choose based less on fame but more on the quality of the acting. I like actors like Jennifer Beals, Meryl Streep, and Glenn Close. I also love actors like Matthew McConaughey and Lynn Whitfield. I could definitely see Lynne Whitfield playing Mrs. Franklin.

11. What inspired the idea for the Hidden Hills Saga? How did you come up with your idea for Ice Whispers?
The Hidden Hills Saga is based on the idea of what is slavery and what is freedom and whether these lines ever blur. The titles for each book are: Book One ("Ice Whispers"), Book Two ("Crystal Threads"), and Book Three ("Liquid Chains"). The books are all a part of a continuous saga that follows all of the characters introduced in Book One, "Ice Whispers," through this period before the Civil War.

I've thought a lot about why I chose to write this story set in the antebellum South, especially given I originally had no intention of ever writing a story about slavery, because I was so tired of seeing and hearing the same story over and over again. These stories are important and need to be told, but I like to experience different stories.

So here is what I came up with after thinking long and hard about this question...

I love stories, whether they are found in books, on TV, in movie theatres, or on stage! But I am often tired of seeing the same stories told over and over again. As a result, throughout my career as a writer, I have always been interested in telling different stories, especially from characters whose experiences and perspectives are rarely told. I love historical dramas and am avid lover of shows like Downton Abbey, House of Eliott, etc. And I am a huge Jane Austen fan.

However, every time that I've seen stories about slavery in the American South, I feel as though I see the same story. Yes, I love Gone with the Wind, and the harsh realities that are depicted in Roots and most recently 12 Years a Slave are necessary as part of the American lexicon. But there were other stories, those that are often unheard. And don't those types of characters have the right to also be heard? Aren't their stories worth telling?

It is strange for me to sit back and really analyze the reasoning behind the stories that I write. But here goes...

I was inspired by the idea of free blacks, who did exist before the Civil War in the North and the South, including in places like Louisiana and South Carolina. I was inspired to write a story about freedom and slavery, and the way both of these states of being play out. There are certainly physical forms of slavery, but there are forms of mental and economic slavery. There are people, even today, who may be physically free but still mentally enslaved. And I wanted to explore this. I think people need to empathize with each other and understand that everyone goes through struggles and pain, that people share the same emotions, and though we may not all experience the same exact experiences, we can certainly relate to how it feels to be misunderstood, rejected, and mistreated. Although the three women on whom this saga focuses are so very different, they all are in some way enslaved. And though they are not perfect...none of my characters are ever perfect. In fact, they are often a hot mess! I'd like for people to try and understand them. The wives of plantation owners could often themselves feel imprisoned.

Lastly, I think what also propelled me to write this story was my desire in a way to push back against the depiction of slaves as just victims. They were victimized. Absolutely! But despite that, they found ways to be victorious. They could figure out ways to secretly defy the horrible system of slavery. They found ways to survive and subvert the system. For example, the spiritual songs that they would sing while they worked on the plantations often had secret codes embedded within them, as did the quilts that they crafted. And no one suspected. It was quite genius. In The Hidden Hills Saga, Lolley is also a character who finds a way to use the system to her advantage, to take control of her destiny rather than allow her destiny to be shaped by the circumstances in which she is born. She uses her brain to rebel against a society that sought to imprison her. And just as slavery was not just a physical state, the act of rebelling could and can be done in different ways, including mentally. The three characters may not be heroines in some ways and they may not be villains in some ways, but they are survivors, women who were trying to free themselves from the chains that had been thrust upon them.

12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
My absolute favorite hobby is traveling! My husband and I love to travel. We are huge nerds and love to go to the bookstore or to the library and read. We love learning, and through traveling, you learn so much. We've done cross country road trips and traveled to different states, Europe and the Caribbean many times. We also recently went to Morocco, and we hope to travel to new places. We love to visit the tourist sites and the museums, but also we absolutely love immersing ourselves in the culture and trying to experience life as the locals as much as we can, especially by getting out of the tourist traps and going to local markets, etc. I also see and meet so many interesting people and find connections with them despite that they are from a different culture than I am. Through reading and writing, I also am able to experience this.

Check out my review for ICE WHISPERS.

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1. How did you get started as an author?  What or whom inspired you?
I’ve been writing ever since I learned how to write, and was so blessed to be surrounded by encouragers—my parents, my extended family, my teachers. I was inspired by authors like L. M. Montgomery and Lori Wick early on, and by Francine Rivers a little later. After I finished my first novel at age 13—the original version of The Lost Heiress!!—my mom bought me writers’ market guides and paid for copies, for envelopes and postage, and totally cheered me on while I submitted it. Shocker—no one bought it way back then! LOL. But I was never one to give up. I kept writing, working on this story and others. I signed with an agent, sold a book, signed with another agent when my first retired, sold a series…and now and thrilled to be working with Bethany House—the first publisher I queried back when I was a teen with a book I’d handwritten during class. =)

2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
The Lost Heiress is my 10th published work, including 2 novellas. But I have 30 finished manuscripts. Some of the other 20 are even decent. ;-) Others…not so much, LOL. All of my published works are historical—ranging from biblical to American-set romances to this British-set series. But in my unpublished folder, I have some contemporaries too. 

3. What writing projects are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about these projects?
I’m just polishing the final book in the Ladies of the Manor series right now, getting ready to turn it in. Once it’s off my plate, I’ll get back to work on a Christmas story set in the days of the early church, following the Visibullis family from two of my biblical novels. And I’ve got another Edwardian idea rattling around my brain, too, that I’ll hopefully have the chance to write soon. =D

4. What does your writing process look like?
My ideas usually come to me pretty fully within a day or so. I often need to brainstorm some of the details of the twists and turns with my critique partner and husband, but I know it’s a solid idea when it latches hold and fleshes out quickly. I can usually hammer out the first three or four chapters in just a few days. Then reality sets in, the pace slows, and I take time to do some serious research. I try to average 2,000 words a day—getting up at 5:30 in the morning to have some quiet before the kiddos wake up, and often squeezing out my remaining words after they go to bed. It takes about 3 months of active writing these days…and then time for editing, revising, and that initial time to research.

5. Where is your favorite place to write?
I don’t know about favorite (that would probably be at the beach or some mountain cabin with no distractions, LOL), but my usual place is the kitchen table. I occasionally have dreams about having a house with a room I can use as an office, but alas! Not my lot right now, and that’s okay. I can write pretty much anywhere. =)

6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters?  Do you have any name resources you would suggest?
Occasionally names will just come to me with the story idea, but often I have to go searching. When I can, I search historical records from the era I’m writing in to find appropriate names, and then select ones that I can (a) pronounce, (b) like the sound of and (c) doesn’t strike me as overused. For American-set books, I oven turn to ssa.gov and search their name database by year. For other settings, I search for census records for a particular region for the time period I need. For my biblicals, I often search the Bible itself, or Google “Ancient Greek/Roman/Hebrew names”

7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
So many!! I’ve recently been enjoying Kate Breslin, Jen Turano, Susan Meissner, Mesu Andrews, Laura Frantz, Dina L. Sleiman, Stephanie Morrill…I have many more favorites. Those are just a few off my recent read-it-and-loved-it list.

8. Where is your favorite place to read and why?
Well, my couch is super comfy. On nice evenings, I often end up on the porch in the Adirondack chair. And more often than not, it’s in bed, propped up against my headboard.

9. What period of history interests you the most?
There is no answer to that, LOL. History just interests me, period. I love learning about different eras and what sets them apart, what characterized the people in them. I love best whichever one I’m researching at the time…and then fall in love with a new one when a story takes me somewhere new.

10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character?
Justin, from this book, would totally be William Mosley. He is a 100% perfect Justin—which is awesome, since I’d been on the hunt for an actor to suit him for 20 years…apparently I just needed to wait for him to grow up and start acting! LOL

11. What inspired the idea for your Ladies of the Manor series?  How many novels do you plan to include in this series?
As I touched on a bit above, this novel is a rewrite (of a rewrite of a rewrite of a rewrite…) of my first-ever finished novel, which I wrote at ages 12-13. I may have been a bit inspired (ahem) by Lori Wick’s The Hawk and the Jewel way back then. These days, the story bears little resemblance to what I first wrote, though the heart of the characters, and the premise itself, has remained the same. The series will include 3 books. The second is The Reluctant Duchess, releasing next April. The third’s title hasn’t been finalized yet, but that’s the one I’m just turning in now. =)

12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
When I’m not writing or editing—or homeschooling my kids, which obviously takes a big chunk of my day—I’m often designing book covers for a few different small presses (mine included—www.WhiteFire-Publishing.com) and independent authors. When not doing that, I do (obviously) love to read. I go through phases with finger knitting. I enjoy baking (though despise cooking)…and pretty much anything else that gives me an excuse to neglect cleaning the house. ;-)

Check out my review for THE LOST HEIRESS, book one in the Ladies of the Manor series.

Connect with Marianne on:
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1. How did you get started as an author?
As a girl, I dreamt of being a travel writer for The National Geographic Magazine. My parents took us to the library every Saturday and when a teen, I read historical fiction by Taylor Caldwell and Irving Stone. My high school English teacher encouraged my writing and I majored in English and Dramatic Arts at university. I am retired from a thirty year career during which I held various positions in education, communications and public relations. I’ve also written policy documents, speeches, local television commercials, scripts for radio shows and community events, newsletters and career advice columns. In addition, I served as project director and primary writer for a commemorative art book published in honour of our city’s Homecoming Celebration. Over the past five years, I’ve launched a website, written regular blogs on genealogy, travel and writing, had genealogical articles published in North American magazines and journals plus written The Inheritance.

2. What writing projects are you currently working on?
In May 2013, I returned to Calabria, southern Italy for an extensive two week research trip geared to future projects. The novel I am currently writing is set in Italy; Switzerland and South America are secondary locations and countries I have also explored. The period is modern and the protagonist a woman of Italian ancestry who inherits a century old deed to property in Calabria under strange circumstances. She travels to Calabria to solve its mystery but forces thwart her along the way. My third book will be a sequel to The Inheritance. In addition, I continue to publish non-fiction genealogical articles for North American magazines and professional journals.

3. What does your writing process look like?
I value authenticity as an author and set my stories in places I have explored. Research and travel, therefore, are integral to my writing. With respect to The Inheritance, journeying through Calabria, southern Italy familiarized me with the region and, in particular, helped me pen vivid descriptive passages. The story unfolds from 1897 to 1913 and to recreate the era, I studied the history and social customs of the time, scoured genealogical documents to develop characters and thread their lives with real events plus referenced an antique map to validate locales. The Villa San Michele is a real turn of the century villa and I stayed there while visiting Cetraro, Calabria, a fishing village central to The Inheritance.

4. Where is your favourite place to write?
I have a den dedicated to writing and genealogical research with windows fronting Lake Superior in our Northern Ontario, Canada country home. I believe in positive energy and every item in the room honours family, cherished mementos and treasured books. I have travelled to the seven continents and there is a map of the world on the wall on which I record places I have visited.

The photograph shows me feeding Priscilla, a nine-month old rescued Dromedary camel at a farm in Uluru, Australia this past winter. To commemorate this marvellous experience, I purchased a miniscule camel figurine at the farm, which I’ve since displayed in my den.

5. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters?
The Inheritance is set in Calabria, southern Italy from 1897 to 1913.Names help create authenticity and I reviewed Italian genealogical documents to determine those appropriate for this era. Ship manifests identifying passengers who journeyed from Naples, Italy to Ellis Island, New York plus birth, marriage and death records were particularly valuable sources. As a result of my efforts, I chose Mafalda, Fortunata and Armida for minor characters. St. Catherine of Siena is a joint Patron Saint of Italy along with Saint Francis of Assisi. The name is a perennial favourite in Italian families plus has personal significance for it honours my late paternal grandmother, Nana Caterina and Catherine Rose Perry, an older sister who died in infancy.

This is a photograph of my late grandparents, Nana Caterina and Nonno Pietro Perri (Perry) taken September 21, 1915 on their wedding day that I inherited from my late father, Arnold Joseph Perry.

6. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
Travel provides opportunity to learn about the world and my adventures influence my reading. Given my trip to the Northern Territory, Australia this past winter, I’ve read two books by Australian authors to deepen my understanding about the country. For those with a similar interest, I’d recommend The Waddi Tree by Kerry McGinnis and Tracks by Robyn Davidson. Venice, Italy is a favoured city and I enjoy Donna Leon’s crime fiction featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. Visiting bookstores is on my travel itinerary and when I was in Reykjavik, Iceland this past summer, I purchased Silence of the Grave, a murder mystery by Icelandic author, Arnaldur Indridason. Other authors I enjoy include: Adriana Trigiani, Susan Vreeland, Tracy Chevalier, Ken Follett, Anne Perryand John Grisham.

7. What inspired the idea for The Inheritance?
Family mysteries intrigue me and I’ve been researching ancestral history for about twenty years. I wanted to understand why my paternal grandmother, Nana Caterina left Calabria, southern Italy in 1913 as a young woman; sailed on a steamship across the Atlantic Ocean; landed at Ellis Island, New York; settled in Canada and never returned to her homeland. Our large family knew scant about Nana’s early life so I started genealogical research to investigate her history, which eventually inspired The Inheritance.

8. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
Travel and photography. I have explored the seven continents and this past summer, travelled to Iceland. On every trip, I’ve maintained a journal and taken photographs, which I compile into reference albums for my fiction and non-fiction writing projects. I took the photograph of the crumbling stone cottage on the cover of The Inheritance on a research trip to Calabria, Italy. The image is intrinsic to the story plus reflects the authenticity I value as a writer.

I snapped this photograph of a Gentoo Penguin at a rookery on Pleneau Island, Antarctica in February 2014. It seemed as if the little fellow were posing for me.

Review for The Inheritance.
On tour with Italy Book Tours.

Connect with Carrie on:
Goodreads      Facebook      Twitter      Pinterest      Amazon      Website/Blog      Overcoming with God Blog

1. How did you get started as an author?
I put my hands on the computer keyboard and started typing. J  Really, though, part of the process is referred to as butt-in-chair or BIC. If you don’t sit down and start doing it, the writing won’t happen!  My first publication was a nonfiction as a co-author of a chapter, in a psychology book, many years ago. I was a psychologist for twenty-five years and I was also published in my field but not in fiction until my arthritis derailed my psychologist career. 

2. What or whom inspired you?
I “blame” my best friend, Libbie, for introducing me to books by Brock and Bodie Thoene over twenty-five years ago. And also to fiction by Janette Oke. I thought—I’d love to write stories like they do. I may not come close—but I sure do enjoy writing for the Lord!

3. How many books have you written and in what genres?
Written vs. published yet gets tricky. I have published one Civil War novella, Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance, with a small publisher. There are three published 1890’s books in The Christy Lumber Camp Series: The Fruitcake Challenge, The Lumberjacks’ Ball, and Lilacs for Juliana. The Fruitcake Challenge is also part of the Christmas Traditions Collection, currently continuing as a #1 Amazon Anthology book!!!! I published a post-WWII short story “Snowed In” in Guidepost Books’ A Cup of Christmas Cheer collection. I have a European/Colonial American novel, Saving the Marquise’s Granddaughter, with White Rose, but I don’t yet have the release date. I am under contract to write a novella in The Sporting Chance Collection for Forget-Me-Not Press in 2016. I just received a contract this week with Barbour Books for another novella, The Wedding Quilt, in The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection, planned to release in January, 2017. I contributed to a nonfiction book sharing testimonies called God’s Provision in Tough Times. And I co-wrote a chapter, with Gina Welborn in her contemporary suspense serial story, now available for free. I have four more completed novels and one completed novella that are looking for good homes and dozens more stories, in my head, crying to get out!

4. What writing projects are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about these projects?
Working on my Christmas Town novelette, which is set in Shepherd, Michigan. That title is A Substitute Bride and it will release in October. I am one of a group of authors led by Gina Welborn, who are contributing to this collection. Cynthia Hickey’s lovely novella, “The Christmas Stamp”, has already released.

5. What does your writing process look like?
I like to mull a story over first and I prefer to do a fleshed out synopsis and character sketches before I start writing. I prefer having a critique partner (CP) who writes at my level or better. I’ve had some wonderful CPers and have been very blessed. And I hire editors to help me. I am in a small accountability group, too, that I find helpful. The Pagels Pals Reader/Reviewers Group is a great support to me. I find myself running over there for help on a regular basis and I’m always blessed by them!

6. Where is your favorite place to write?
I write primarily on our deck. In fact, I refer to our small deck as my office. 

7. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters?  Do you have any name resources you would suggest?
Oh, you are really opening a can of worms here!!! Names are super important to authors. Having someone change the name of your heroine, for instance, can be devastating. I actually know someone super well, who had this happen and her agent said in all her 35 years of working in industry she’d never had it happen.

I choose names from friends, family members, from ancestors or my husbands’, from my Pagels’ Pals reader/reviewer group, and sometimes God “gives” me a name. We were recently at Gettysburg, and I met a man whose nametag showed his surname as Penwell. Well, my hero has been corresponding with a woman long distance--voila!—what a perfect name for my hero! Sometimes I use names of people from the research. For instance in this next book, a real woman named Cora had died in a Poor Farm near where my story is set. So one of my secondary characters is named Cora. I suggest using your own genealogy because you KNOW those are REAL names! Also, I Google certain years online to see what the most common names were.

8. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend?
SO many! Tamera Alexander, Julie Lessman, Jen Turano, MaryLu Tyndall, Serena B. Miller, Lorna Seilstad, Lisa Norato, Kelly Long, Cynthia Hickey, Carrie Turansky, Gina Welborn, Julie Klassen, Debbie Lynne Costello, Kathleen Maher, and so many more!!! Just finished a great audiobook series by Jane Perrine. We are blessed in America to have so many wonderful authors in the CBA market.

9. Where is your favorite place to read and why?
In bed. I have arthritis and I usually read my comparables when I’m not feeling so good, and I lie down in bed in the office and read on the kindle. I also listen to audiobooks while cleaning.

10. What period of history interests you the most?
I love colonial, and I live in an area where it is available and I have the Colonial Quills group blog. But I also love turn-of-the-century because my paternal grandmother was born in 1895 and my grandfather in 1886 and I never had the opportunity to know them. I did have a wonderful great-aunt and great-uncle, who were born in this era, and I’ve always found it fascinating.

11. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? (Possibly share an image of this famous star.)
I’d like Chris Hemsworth of Thor, to play Johan in Saving the Marquise’s Granddaughter because he looks very much like I imagine Johan except my Palatinate hero has larger teeth. But he’s older than Johan, too. And I can’t imagine him playing the humble peasant that Johan is but that scene in Thor where he shovels food into his mouth—that kind of reminded me of Johan ;)

12. What inspired the idea for The Christy Lumber Camp Series? How many novels do you plan to have in this series?
I grew up hearing some stories of my mom’s time living in a lumber camp. Also, we have a wonderful logging museum in my hometown and my great-grandparents cabin is at that site. And I love the Hartwick Pines in Michigan—a preserved area of virgin White Pine forest, which is gorgeous.  When Gina Welborn asked me to participate in the Christmas Traditions series, I thought a fruitcake challenge, based at a lumber camp would be fun. And it was! This novella was a Selah finalist and also a finalist on the long list for Family Fiction’s Book of the Year, PTL! After I’d finished that book, I wanted to tell more of the Christy family stories. There will be another short story that will be free to my newsletter subscribers plus one more short story or novelette with a wedding or two!

13. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
Beading. I love to bead when my hands and eyes will cooperate. I wouldn’t call it a hobby, but I like to paint as in with a roller or a brush on a wall or furniture. God did not gift me with an artist’s eye, though, so no artwork painting for me! I like bike riding or riding my stationary bike. Love history so we frequently go to museums here and on our travels. Is eating chocolate a hobby, Sydney?

Check out my review of the novels in the Christy Lumber Camp Series:
The Fruitcake Challenge
The Lumberjacks' Ball
Lilacs for Juliana